Did you say something?

 

Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 

God speaking.  Me listening.  That’s the way it is supposed to work, and when it works that way God does instruct me and teach me and counsel me.

But then there are the days when I have no desire to listen to God. Or maybe the desire is kind of there but I am distracted by a million other things, so God can’t get through all the static in my mind.  On days like that it is hard to settle down to pray or meditate - especially meditate! 

Prayer is usually fairly easy.  Prayer is the asking part and even if all I can say is, “God, help me!” the prayer is there.  Even if it is simply groans or sighs, with no words available, the prayer is there, and God hears it.

But meditation - the listening part.  That can be difficult.  It’s not that I think my mind has to be completely still in order to hear God.  We are designed in such a way that we can  hear one conversation in a crowd if we are paying attention to that one.  That’s how we manage to converse while we are in restaurants and other public places, when sounds are at normal levels.  But sometimes it is rock concert loud, in which case no one can hear anything.  The same thing happens inside my head.  Most of the time I can focus my attention on listening for God’s voice even though there is a lot of other noise going on in my head.  But sometimes all of the things going on in my life - the busy-ness and the worried-ness and the confusion and the feeling that there is so much to do I have no idea where to start - are just so loud that I cannot hear that still, small voice in the back of my mind. 

When my mind gets that loud, one of two things will happen.  Either I will find a way to settle myself, or God will.  When God has to get my attention it comes in a particular way that I call a “God by 4 upside the head” - something that forces me to slow down and pay attention whether I want to or not.  Sometimes these are events, sometimes they are things other people say, sometimes it is simply a matter of running into the same phrase or idea multiple times in vastly different places.  Whatever form it takes, it feels like an “I could have had a V-8!” moment.  

Because those are often uncomfortable events, I do try to keep from letting all the things on my mind from getting so loud I cannot hear God.  I make time to allow my mind to relax.  My life is much easier when I can hear that still, small voice and allow it to instruct and teach and counsel me.  

Teaching God, may I always be willing to listen for your voice letting me know which way to go.  May I learn to keep the noise in my head to a minimum, so we can have that intimate conversation, just Thee and me, without distractions.  Amen.